http://www.gov.bc.ca/arr/

This is the website of the British Columbia Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation.  On this website, information about certain aspects of Provincial – Aboriginal relations can be found, such as news releases and photographs of events in B.C.

Important and/or useful links from this site are:

• Treaties and Negotiations (Provides links to current Final Agreements; general background information about the treaty process; and links to other negotiations in B.C.)
• Economic Development (Provides information about government-funded economic initiatives aimed at sustainable aboriginal economy; discusses the First Citizens Fund initiative; and gives a basic outline of training opportunities available)
• Social Programs (Describes in general, various social initiatives put forth by the government, including housing, health, grants and education services)
• Cultural Programs (Describes the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council (FPHLCC), and provides a link to their website)
• Cross-Government Aboriginal Programs and Services (Provides links to other government ministry sites)
• Guide to Aboriginal Organizations (A pdf document with the same title is available from this page, including a guide to services for Aboriginal people, language pronunciation guide, and hotlinked resources)

This website would be useful in collecting general information about B.C. Government-First Nations relations, and would be a good starting place for research into this or any related issue.  I came across this site in search of solid information about language policy and indigenous languages in B.C., and I have to say I was disappointed to come up short.  The FPHLCC site, however, provides a great deal of information about languages in B.C.

http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/en/ao20012.html

This section of the Aboriginal Canada Portal website “contains a list of the university and college programs, courses and services intended for an Aboriginal clientele.” In theory and on the surface, this is a great idea. Aboriginal students can look for post-secondary programs in environments that are designed with their cultural context in mind. However, I am wary of the accuracy of information provided. For example, in Ontario, Algoma University is still listed as Algoma University College more than a year after receiving their independent university charter. Shingwauk University, a First Nations-run university on the Algoma campus in Sault Ste Marie, isn’t even mentioned. One of the two links for Laurentian University (there should be several more including our new school of education, which includes a smudge room on site) is to something listed as “Native Style”, but takes you to a web-page describing my colleague Dr Hoi F. Cheu’s research in Bibliotherapy. While Bibliotherapy is fascinating, and I consider Dr Cheu a friend, it really doesn’t have much to do with the Indigenous experience on our campus.

I also wonder about the purpose and effect of such a website. While there may be positive aspects to being able to find institutions that publicize an integration, or at least an acceptance, of Aboriginal culture, the web-site also gives the impression that these are the only options for Aboriginal students. This implication is reinforced by the following statement and links:

For more information on programs and services available to all Canadians, please visit the following Web sites: Services for Canadians – Jobs, Workers, Training and Careers and Youth.

This section, like most of the Portal, includes a short “Did you know?” fact, sharing bits of trivia about Aboriginal culture and presence in Canada. On the Colleges and Universities pages today, you can find the following tidbit:

http://www.aboriginalroundtable.ca/sect/index_e.html

The Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable took place in April 2004, with a follow-up session in November 2004 and a policy retreat in May 2005. Of particular interest are the Facilitators’ Reports from the November 2004 meetings, with links to summaries of flip charts from the break-out groups, profiles of status and non-status North American Indians in Canada and a variety of background papers on such stakeholders as the Government of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations.

One of the areas addressed in the Lifelong Learning – Inuit breakout groups is the issue of improving access to Post Secondary Education. Specific recommendations included “Flexibility of program delivery” via broadband, language of instruction, modular delivery, distance education delivery in communities, continue to support learning (by) disabled students, and co-op work experience.

White House Blog

Today was the White House Tribal Nations Conference. The link I have provided is actually the White House blog which includes transcripts of President Obama’s opening remarks at the conference. Today he signed a memorandum indicating that there would be stronger ties between 564 federally recognized tribes and the White House. I’m not sure if this is simply more lip service to the indigenous people of the US but I found it very interesting that President Obama has directed each and every government agency to have a detailed plan of how they intend to improve meaningful consultation and collaboration between the federal government and the Indian nations. I guess we wait and see.

Links include live streaming to interactive discussions with Obama, tribal leaders and agency officials.

http://www.aboriginalaffairs.gov.on.ca/english/default.asp

Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs

Since I am new to this area I start my search with a ministry site. I am afraid it is very naive of me but I am not well versed in Aboriginal Issues, culture and education.

I am hoping this ministry site will lead me to other sites